1 Overview

HCSNet provides financial support for the organization of workshops through its Workshop Support Program. The aims of the Program are to push forward thinking on important topics and issues in Human Communication Science, and to encourage new and surprising intersections between disciplines, by bringing together Network Participants in fora that encourage discussion.

Funding for workshops is allocated on the basis of competitive applications. HCSNet provides funds for two categories of workshops:

• A designated HCSNet Workshop is an event whose sole or primary source of funding is HCSNet. A maximum of $15,000 can be requested for an HCSNet Workshop.

• A designated HCSNet Co-sponsored Workshop is an event whose costs are shared with another organization. Up to $10,000 can be requested for an HCSNet Co-sponsored Workshop.

In each case, the purpose of HCSNet funding is to make possible an event that would otherwise not take place, for example by defraying the cost of attendance of Network Participants and paying the costs associated with bringing an invited speaker from overseas. For each category of workshop, a Student Support Grant of up to $5,000 may be requested for support specifically targetted at student attendance.

If your planned workshop falls within one or more of HCSNet's Priority Research Areas, you should first get in touch with the relevant Priority Area Leader.

It is a requirement of funding that a workshop should produce an Outcomes and Directions Report of around 10-15 pages in length, a major part of which should be able to serve as a public discussion paper on the topic of the workshop; further details on what an Outcomes and Directions Report should contain are provided below. Other forms of publication are also strongly encouraged as outcomes.

2 Scope and Format of Workshops

Workshops should address some specific topic or issue that is of interest to the HCSNet community, and the proposers should provide supporting evidence and argumentation as to why the topic is an important one. The topic should be broad enough to guarantee an audience of at least 15-30 people.

There are very few constraints on the format of workshops: a typical workshop might be of 1-2 days duration, attract 15-30 participants, and have one overseas keynote speaker, but it is up to the organizers to propose what will work best for the topic area of the workshop.

It would be appropriate for a workshop to include a panel or discussion session that is focused specifically on producing the workshop's Outcomes and Directions Report.

3 Conditions of Funding

Receipt of funding for either an HCSNet Workshop or an HCSNet Co-sponsored Workshop imposes specific requirements on the organizers of the workshop.

1. The workshop title should be of a form that highlights HCSNet's sponsorship of the event: two typical forms are exemplified by Music as Human Communication: An HCSNet Workshop on the Science of Music Perception, Performance and Cognition and HCSNet Workshop on Effective Interactive Interfaces.

2. Acknowledgement of HCSNet's support should appear prominently on any materials associated with the workshop. In particular, any material advertising the event should clearly indicate that the event is an HCSNet Workshop; and the HCSNet logo and name should be visible at the workshop itself and on any publications, such as workshop proceedings, arising directly from the workshop. Electronic images will be provided, as will specific advice on how HCSNet support should best be acknowledged.

3. The event should be advertised via the HCSNet electronic newsletter, and be open to all Network Participants.

4. The workshop must deliver outcomes that advance thinking on the topic or issue addressed by the workshop. At a minimum, a 10-15 page Outcomes and Directions Report is required, as detailed below; other forms of publication are also strongly encouraged.

4 The Outcomes and Directions Report

HCSNet is not able to fund research, but it can foster interactions and new collaborations that will advance and facilitate research. This is the primary goal of the Workshop Support Program. To demonstrate the extent to which this was successful, the organizers must produce, within two months of the workshop, an Outcomes and Directions Report of around 10-15 pages in length.

The Outcomes and Directions Report should:

• clearly identify the topic or issue addressed by the workshop;
• on the basis of workshop discussions, point to specific future directions, or a range of views regarding future developments in the area; and
• provide specific ideas on how the area of activity could be strengthened and taken forward other than by HCSNet support alone.

The above elements of the Outcomes and Directions Report form a public document that will be made available, possibly in abridged form, via the HCSNet web site, and may be used by HCSNet in discussions with government and industry as representing an expert view on the topic in question; they should therefore be written in an accessible style.

In addition, the report should contain a not-for-publication section that provides details of attendance and a final budget; a brief description of the structure of the workshop; discussion of the aspects that worked well, and those that did not; and suggestions on how HCSNet can better support this kind of activity.

5 Timing and Location

Proposals should be for workshops scheduled to take place no later than nine months from the corresponding closing date for applications.

HCSNet imposes no restrictions on the location of workshops, although the geographic distribution of Network Participants interested in the topic may bear on this.

For events held at either the University of Western Sydney or Macquarie University, HCSNet is able to provide local administrative support. Centralised administrative support for events at other locations may be negotiated.

6 Application Deadlines

There are four deadlines for workshop applications in each year:

• January 31st
• April 30th
• July 31st
• October 31st

Applications will be assessed by the Workshops Subcommittee of the HCSNet Steering Committee, and decisions will usually be made within two weeks of the corresponding deadline. The subcommittee's decisions are final.

7 Format of Applications

Applications should be sent by email as either Word or PDF attachments to programs@hcsnet.edu.au with the subject line 'Application for Workshop Support'. Applications for funding should be around 4-5 pages in length, and should provide the following information under the headings specified.

Workshop Topic

Provide a 50-100 word summary that clearly indicates the topic or issue to be addressed by the workshop.

Date and Location of Workshop

When and where will the workshop be held?

Scope

In no more than half a page, provide a more detailed description of the topic to be addressed, in a manner than might be used to explain the content and purpose of the workshop to someone outside your field.

The Organizers

Who are the key personnel and what are their roles? Why are the workshop proposers the appropriate people to be organizing this workshop?

Significance and Relevance

In no more than half a page, explain why the issue or topic is of central importance to Human Communication Science.

Workshop Outcomes

Apart from the required Outcomes and Directions Report, as described above, what other outcomes will be produced as a result of this workshop? In no more than half a page, set out the expected outcomes of the workshop -- including, but not limited to, proceedings, other forms of publication, and research grant applications -- and the expected impact of these.

Workshop Format

Outline the proposed format for the workshop, both in terms of the event itself, and in terms of how material will be solicited for presentation at the event.

Workshop Attendance

Who will attend the workshop? Gives reasons why the topic will attract an audience of at least 15-30 people.

Detailed Budget

Provide a detailed breakdown of the estimated costs for the workshop. If you intend to also apply for the supplementary Student Support grant, provide a separate budget indicating how these funds will be used.

Any Other Comments

Provide any other information that may be useful in determining whether the workshop is an appropriate event to be supported by the HCSNet Workshop Support Program.